 CHAPTER 72 THE COUNSELOR AND THE CARVER From that great confusion, for nothing can be broken up, whether lawful or unlawful, without a vast amount of dust, and many people grumbling, and mourning for the good old times when all the world was happiness, and every man and gentleman, and the son himself far brighter than since the brassy ida upon which he shone was broken, from all this loss of ancient landmarks, as unrobbed men begin to call our clarence of those murderers, we returned on the following day, almost as full of anxiety as we were a triumph. In the first place, what could we possibly do with all these women and children, thrown on our hands, as one might say, with none to protect them, and care for them? Again, how should we answer to the justices of the peace, or perhaps even to the Lord for Jeffries, for having, without even a warrant, taken the law into our own hands, and abated our nuance for so forcibly? And then, what was to be done with the spore, which was of great value, though the diamond necklace came not to public light, for we saw a mighty host of claimants, already leaping up for booty. Every man who had ever been robbed expected unsurry on his loss. The Lords of the Manor demanded the whole, and so did the King's Commissioner of Revenue at Portlock, and so did the men who had fought our battle, while even the Parsons, both bolden in power, and another who had no parish in it, threatened us with the just wrath of the Church, unless each had ties of the whole of it. Now this was not, as it ought to be, and it seemed as if by the burning nest of robbers, we had but hatched their eggs, until being made sole guardian of the captured treasure, by reason of my known honesty, I hid upon a plan, which gave very little satisfaction, that carried this advantageous, that the grumblers argued against one another, and for the most part came to blows, which renewed their good will to me, as being abused by the adversary. And my plan was, no more than this, not to pay a fathering to Lord of Manor, Parsons, or even King's Commissioner, but after making good some of the recent and proven losses, where the men could not afford to lose, to pay the residue, which might be worth some fifty thousand pounds, into the ex-check curve at Westminster, and then let all the claimants file what wills they please in Choncery. Now this was a very noble device, for the mere name of Choncery, and the high repute of the fees therein, and low repute of the lawyers, and the comfortable knowledge that the wools sack it suffers the golden fleece, absolving gold for ever, if the standard beaver pure, consideration of these things starved off at once the lords of the manors, and all the little farmers, and even those whom most I feared, Videlic the Parsons. And the King's Commissioner was compelled to profess himself contented, although of all he was most aggrieved, for his pickings would have been godly. Moreover, by this plan I made, although I never thought of that, a mighty friend worth all the enemies whom the loss of money moved. The first man now in the kingdom, via virtue perhaps of energy, rather than of excellence, was the great Lord Jeffries, appointed the head of the equity, as well as the law of the ring, for his kindness in hanging five hundred people, without the mere brief of trial. Nine out of ten of these people were innocent, it was true, but that proved the merit of the Lord Chief Justice so much the greater for hanging them, as showing what might be expected of him, when he truly got hold of a guilty man. Now the King had been the force of this argument, and not being without gratitude for a high seasoned dish of cruelty, had prompted the only man in England, combining the gifts of both butcher and cook. Nevertheless I do beg you all to believe me, and I think that after following me so long you must believe it, that I did not even know at the time of Lord Jeffries' high promotion. Not that my knowledge of this would have led me to act otherwise in the matter, for my object was to pay into an office and not to any official, neither if I had known the fact could I have seen its bearing upon the receipt of my money, for the King's ex-checker is Missa-myth of the common law while Chancery is of equity, and well-named for as many chances. But the true result of the thing was this, Lord Jeffries, being now head of the law, and almost head of the kingdom, got permission of that money, and was kindly pleased with it. This met our second difficulty, for the law having won and laughed over the spoil must have injured its own tide by impugning our legality. Next, with regard to the women and children, we were long in a state of perplexity. We did our very best at the farm, and so did many others to provide for them until they should manage about their own substance. And after a while this trouble went, as nearly all troubles go with trying. Some of the women were taken back by their parents or their husbands, or may be their sweethearts, and those who failed of this went forth. Some upon their own account to the new world plantations, where the fair sex is valuable, and some to English cities, and the plainer ones to fieldwork. And most of the children went with their mothers, or were barren apprentices. Only Carvedon's handsome child had lost his mother and stayed with me. This boy went about with me everywhere. He had taken as much of liking to me, first showing in his eyes by the firelight as his father had of hated. And I, perceiving his noble courage, scorn of lies, and high spirit, became almost as fond of NC as he was of me. He told us that his name was NC, meant for Ensor, I suppose, from his father's grandfather, the old sir in Sir Dune, and this boy appeared to be Carver's heir, having been born in Wedlock, contrary to the general manner and custom of the dunes. However, although I loved the poor child, I could not help feeling very uneasy about the escape of his father, the savage and brutal Carver. This man was left to roam the country, homeless, fondness, and desperate, with his giant strength and great skill in arms and the whole world to be avenged upon. For his escape, the manners, as I shall show, were unanswerable. But of the counselor's safe departure, the burden lay on myself alone, and inasmuch as there are people who consider themselves ill-used, unless one tells them everything, straightened through I am for space, I will glance at this transaction. After the desperate charge of young dunes have been met by us and broken, and just as poor kid Babcock died in the arms of the dead Charlie, I happen to describe a patch of white on the grass of the meadow, like the head of a sheep after Washington, observing with some curiosity how carefully this white thing moved along the bars of the darkness betwixt the panels of firelight. I ran up to accept it before it reached the little poster which we used to call Ginny's door. Perceiving me, the white thing stopped and was for making back again, but I ran up at full speed and low. It was the flowing, silvery hair of that sage, the counselor, who was scuttling away upon all fours, but now rose and confronted me. John, he said, Sir John, you will not play falsely with your ancient friend among these violent fellows. I look to you to protect me, John. Honored Sir, you are right, I replied, but surely that posture was unworthy of yourself and your many resources. It is my intention to let you go free. I knew it. I could have sworn to it. You are a noble fellow, John. I said so from the very first. You are a noble fellow and ornament to any rank. But upon two conditions, I added, gently taking him by the arm, for instead of displaying any desire to commune with my nobility, he was edging away toward the poster. The first is that you tell me truly, for now it can matter to none of you. Who it was that slew my father? I will tell you truly and frankly, John, however painful to me to confess it. It was my son, Carver. I thought as much. Or I felt as much all along, I answered. But the fault was none of yours, Sir, for you were not even present. If I had been there, it would not have happened. I am always opposed to violence, therefore let me haste away. This scene is against my nature. You shall go directly, sir, counselor, after meeting my other condition, which is that you place in my hands Lady Lorna's diamond necklace. Ah, how often I have wished, said the old man for heavy sigh, that it might yet be in my power to ease my mind in that respect, and to do a thoroughly good deed by lawful restitution. Then try to have it in your power, sir. Surely, with my encouragement, you might summon resolution. Last John, the resolution has been ready long ago. But the thing is not in my possession. Carver, my son, who slew your father, upon him, you will find the necklace. Put a juice to me, young man, at my time of life, bubbles and trash. I detest them from the sins they have led me to answer for. When you come to my age, good Sir John, you will score on all jewels and care only for a pure and bright conscience. Ah, let me go. I have made my peace with God. He looks so oary, and so silvery, and serene in the moonlight, that verily I must have believed him, if he had not drawn in his breast. But I happen to have noticed that when an honest man gives vent to noble and gentle sentiments, he spreads his breast and throws it out as if his heart was swelling, whereas I had seen this old gentleman draw in his breast more than once, as if it happened to contain better goods than sentiment. Will you applaud me, kind Sir? I said, keeping him very tight all the while. If I place it in your power to ratify your peace with God, the pledge is upon your heart, no doubt, for there it lies at this moment. With these words, and some apology for having recourse to strong measures, I thrust my hand inside his waistcoat and threw forth lawness necklace, purely sparkling in the moonlight, like the dancing of new stars. The old man made a stab at me with a knife which I had not aspired, but the vicious onset failed, and then he knelt and clasped his hands. Oh, for God sakes, John, my son robbed me not in that manner. It belonged to me, and I love him so. I would give almost my life for him. There's one jewel I can look at for hours and see all the lights of heaven in it, which I never shall see elsewhere. Oh, my wretched wicked life, old John, I am a sad hypocrite. But give me back my jewels. Or else kill me here. I am a babe in your hands, but I must have back my jewels. As his beautiful white hair fell away from his noble forehead, like a silver wreath of glory, and his powerful face, for once, was moved with real emotion, I was so amazed and overcome by the grand contradictions of nature, that verily I was on the point of giving him back the necklace. But honestly, which is said to be the first instinct of all the reads, although myself never found a soul, happened here to occur to me. And so I said, without more haste that might be expected. So counselor, I cannot give you what does not belong to me. But if you will show me that particular diamond, which is having to you, I will take it upon myself to risk and the folly of cutting it out for you. And with that, you must go contented. And I beseech you not to starve with that jewel upon your lips. Seeing no hope of better terms. He showed me his pet love of a jewel. And I thought of what launder was to me, as I cut it out with the hinge of my knife severing the snakes ago, and placed it in his careful hand. Another moment, and he was gone, and way through guineas posture. And God knows what became of him. Now as to cover, the thing was this, so far as I could ascertain from the violent miners, no two are whom told the same story any more than one of them told it twice. The band of dunes which sailed forth for the robbery of the pretended convoy was met by Simon Carfax, according to arrangement, at the ruin house called the Warren. In that part of the bag worthy forest, where the river X, as yet a very small stream runs through it. The Warren, as all our people know, had belonged to a fine old gentleman whom everyone called the squire, who had retreated from active life to past the rest of his days in fishing and shooting, and helping his neighbors. For he was a man of some substance, and no poor man ever left the Warren, without a bag of good viddles, and a few shillings put in his pocket. However, this poor squire never made a greater mistake than in hoping to end his life peacefully upon the banks of a trout stream, and in the green forest of Bag Worthy. For as he came home from the brook at dusk, with his fly rod over his shoulder, the dunes fell upon him and murdered him, and then sacked his house and burned it. Now this had made honest people timid about going past the Warren at night for a course. It was said that the old squire walked upon certain nights of the moon in and out of the trunks of trees on the green path from the river. On his shoulder he bore a fishing rod and his book of trout flies in one hand, and on his back a wicker creel, and now and then he will burst out laughing to think of his coming so near the dunes. And now that one turns to consider it, it seems this seems a strangely righteous thing that the scene of one of the greatest crimes even by dunes committed should, after twenty years, become the scene of vengeance falling like hail from heaven upon them. For although the Warren lies well away to the westward of the mine, and the gold under escort to Bistro or London would have gone in the other direction, Captain Carthax, finding his place best suited for working out his design, had persuaded the dunes that for reasons of government the oil must go first to bond state before inspection or something of that sort. And as everyone knows that our government sends all things westward, when eastward bound, this had won the more faith for Simon as being according to nature. Now Simon, having met these flowers of the flock of villainy, where the rising moonlight flowed through the wet work of the wood, begged them to dismount and led them with air of mystery into the squire's ruin hall, black with fire and green with weeds. Captain, I have found a thing, he said, a carvedon himself, which may help the past hour, ere the lump of gold comes by. The smugglers are noble race, but a mind as eyes are a match for them. There lies a punching of rare spirit, with the Dutchman's brand upon it, hidden behind a broken heath. Set a man outside watch, and let us see what this be like. With one accord, they agreed to this, and Carver pledged master Carthax, and all the dunes grew merry. But Simon being bound, as he said, to see to their strict sobriety, drew a bucket of water from the well into which they had thrown the dead owner, and begged them to mingle it with their drink, which some of them did, and some refused. But the water from that well was poured, while they were corrosion, into the premon pan of every gun of theirs, even as Simon had promised to do with the guns of the men they will come to kill. Then, just as the giant Carver arose, with a glass of pure haulins in his hand, and by the light of the toast they had struck, proposed the good health of the squire's ghost. In the broken doorway stood a press of men with pointed muskets covering every drunken dune. How it fared upon that I know not, having none to tell me, for each man wroth, neither thought of telling, nor whether he might be a lie to tell. The dunes rushed to their guns at once, and pointed them, and poured at them, but the squire's well had drowned their fire, and then they knew that they would be trade, but resolved to fight like men for it. Upon fighting I can never dwell. It breeds such savage delight in me, of which I would feign have less. Enough that all the dunes fought bravely, and like men, though bad ones, died in the hall of the man they had murdered. And with them die, poor young D. Witcher Hazel, who, in spite of his good father's prayers, had cast in his lot with the robbers. Carvedon alone escaped, partly through his fearful strength, and his yet more fearful face, but mainly perhaps through his perfect coolness, and his mode of taking things. I am happy to say that no more than eight of the gallant miners were killed in their combat, or died of their wounds afterwards. And adding to these the eight we had lost and out of salt on the valley, and two of them excellent warehouses men. It cost no more than 16 lives to be rid of nearly 40 dunes, each of whom would most likely have killed three men in the course of a year or two. Therefore, as I said at the time, a great work was done very reasonably. Here were nine upon 40 dunes destroyed in the valley and up at the Warns, despite the extraordinary strength and high-skill gunnery, whereas of us ignorant rustics, there were only 16 to be counted dead, though others might be blamed or so, and of those 16 only two had left wives, and their wives did not happen to care for them. Yet for long a sake, I was vexed at the bold escape of Carver. Not that I sought for Carver's life any more than I did for the counselors, but that for us it was no light thing to have a man of such power and resource and desperation left at large and furious, like a famished wolf round the sheepfold. Yet greatly, as I blame the yeal men who were posted on their horses just out of shot from the dune gate for the very purpose of intercepting those who escaped the miners, I could not get them to admit that any blame attached to them. But lo, he had dashed through the whole of them with his horse at full gallop, and was nearly out of shot before they began to think of shooting him. Then it appears from what a boy said, for boys managed to be everywhere that Captain Carver rolled through the dune gate and so to the head of the valley. There, of course, he beheld all the houses and his own among the number flaming with a handsome blaze and throwing a fine light around such as he often have reveled in one of other people's property. But he swore the deadliest of all oaths and seen himself to be vanquished so far as the luck of the moment went, spurred his great black horse away and passed into the darkness. End of chapter 72 recording by Daisy 55 chapter 73 of Long Dune. This is a liberal rocks recording. All liberal rocks recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit liberal rocks.org recording by Daisy 55. Lorna Dune by R.D. Blackmore chapter 73 how to get out of chancery. Things at this time so befell me that I cannot tell one half but am like a boy who has left his lesson to the master's very footfall, unready, except with false excuses. And as this makes no good work, so I lament upon my lingering in the times when I might have got through a good page, but when it stray after trifles. However, every man must do according to his intellect and looking at the easy manner of my constitution. I think that most men will regard me with pity and goodwill for trying more than with contempt and wrath for having tried unworthily. Even as in the wrestling ring, whatever man did his best and made an honest conflict, I always laid him down with softness easing off his dusty fall. But the thing which next betided me was not a fall of any sort, but rather a most glorious rise to the summit of all fortune. For in good truth, it was no less than the return of Lorna, my Lorna, my own darling and wonderful health and spirits and as glad as a bird to get back again. It would have done anyone good for a 12 months to behold her face and doings and her beaming eyes and smile, not to mention blushes also at my salutation. When this queen of every heart ran about our rooms again, she did love this. And she must see that and where was our old friend the cat? All the house was full of brightness as if the sun had come over the hill and Lorna were his mirror. My mother sat in an ancient chair and wiped her cheeks and looked at her and even Lizzy's eyes must dance to the freshness and joy of her beauty. As for me, you might call me mad for I ran out and flung my best hat in the barn and kissed Mother Fry till she made at me with the sugar nippers. What a quantity of things Lorna had to tell us and yet how often we stopped her mouth at least mother I mean and Lizzy and she quite as often would stop her own running up in her jaw to some one of us and then there arose the eating business which people now call refreshments in these dandy field days of our language for how was it possible that our Lorna could have come all that way and to her own ex more without being terribly hungry. Oh I do love it all so much said Lorna. Now for the 50th time and not meaning only the vitals the scent of the goose on the drove me wild. In the prim roses under the hedges I am sure I was meant for a farmers I mean for a farmhouse life dear Lizzy for Lizzy was looking sarsily just as you were meant for a soldier's bride and for writing dispatches of victory and now since you will not ask me dear mother in the excellence of your manners and even John has not the impudence in spite of all his coats of arms I must tell you a thing which I vow to keep until tomorrow morning but my resolution fails me I am my own mistress what think you of that mother I am my own mistress then you shall not be so long cry die for mother seemed not to understand her and sought about for her glasses darling you shall be mistress of me and I will be your master a frank announcement of your attempt and beyond doubt a true one but surely unusual at this stage and a little premature John however what must be must be and with tears springing out of smiles she fell on my breasts and cried a lot when I came to smoke a pipe over it after the rest were gone to bed I could hardly believe in my good luck for here was I without any merit except of bodily power and the absence of any falsehood which surely is no condemnation so placed that the noblest man in England might envy me and be vexed with me for the noblest lady in all the land and the purists and the sweetest hung upon my heart as if there was none to equal it I dwelt upon this manner long and very severely why smoked a new tobacco brought by my own launder for me and next to herself most delicious and as she the smoke curled away I thought surely this is too fine to last for a man who never deserved it seeing no way out of this I resolved to place my faith in God and so one went to bed and dreamed of it and having no presence of mine to pray for anything under the circumstances I thought it best to fall asleep and trust myself to the future yet her I fell asleep the roof above me swarmed with angels having Lorna under it in the morning Lorna was ready to tell her story and we to hear Ken and she wore a dress of most simple stuff and yet perfectly wonderful by means of the shape and her figure Lizzie was wild with jealousy as might be expected though never would Annie have been so but have praised it and craved for the pattern and mother not understanding it looked forth to be taught about it for it was strange to note that lately my dear mother had lost her quickness and was never quite brisk unless the question were about myself she had seen a great deal of trouble and grief begins to close on people as their power of life declines we said that she was hard of hearing but my opinion was that seeing me inclined for marriage made her think of my father and so perhaps a little too much to dwell on the courting of 30 years ago anyhow she was the very best of mothers and would smile and command herself and be or try to believe myself as happy as could be in the doings of the younger folk and her own skill in detecting them yet with the wisdom of age renouncing any opinion upon the matter since none could see the end of it but Lorna in her bright young beauty and her knowledge of my heart was not to be checked by any thoughts of happily coming evil in the morning she was up even sooner than I was and through all the corners of the hands remembering every one of them I caught her and saluted her with such warmth being now none to look at us that she vowed she would never come out again and yet she came the next morning these things are not to be conical yet I am of such nature that finding many parts of life adverse to our wishes I must now and then draw pleasure from the blessed portions and what portion can be more blessed than with youth and health and strength to be loved by a virtuous virtuous maid and to love her with all one's heart neither was my pride diminished when I found what she had done only from her love of me Earl Brander's ancient steward in whose charge she had traveled with a proper escort looked upon her as a lovely maniac and the mixture of pity and admiration wherewith he regarded her was a strange thing to observe especially after he had seen our simple house and manners on the other hand Lorna considered him a worthy but foolish old gentleman to whom true happiness meant no more than money and opposition these two last she had been ready to abandon holy and had in part escaped from them as the enemies of her happiness and she took advantage of the times in a truly clever manner for that happened to be a time as indeed all times here to all so far as my knowledge extends have somehow or other happened to be when everybody was only too glad to take money for doing anything and the greatest money taken the kingdom next to the king and queen of course who had due preeminence and had taught the maids of honor was generally acknowledged to be the lord chief justice jeffreys upon his return from the bloody azees with triumph and great glory after hanging every man who was too poor to help it he pleased his gracious majesty so purely with the description of their delightful agonies that the king claimed this man alone is worthy to be at the head of the law accordingly in his hand was placed the great seal of england so it came to pass that Lorna's destiny hung upon lord jeffreys for that this time Earl brander died being taken with gout in the heart soon after i left London Lorna was very sorry for him but as he had never been able to hear one tone of her sweet civilry voice it is not to be supposed that she wept with our consolation she agreed for him as we ought to grieve for any good man going and yet with a confident sense of the benefit which the blessed exchange must bring to him now the lady Lorna Duga appeared to Lord Chancellor jeffreys so exceeding wealthy award that the lock would pay for turning therefore he came of his own accord to visit her and to treat with her having heard for the man was as big a gospel as never cared for anybody yet loved to know all about everybody that this wealthy and beautiful maiden would not listen to any young lord having pledged her faith to the plane John red there upon our Lorna managed so to hold our golden hopes to the Lord High Chancellor that he being not more than three parts drunk saw his way to a heap of money and there and then for he was not the man too daily long about anything upon surity of a certain round sum the amount of which i will not mention because of his kindness towards me he gave to his fair ward permission under sign and seal to marry that lawyer night John red upon condition only that the king's consent should be obtained his majesties well disposed towards me for my previous service and regarded me as a good Catholic being moved more over by the queen who desired to please Lorna consented without much hesitation upon to understand that Lorna when she became a full age and the mistress of her property which was still under guardianship should pay a heavy fine to the crown and devote a fixed portion of her estate to the promotion of the holy Catholic faith in a manner to be dictated by the king himself in as much however as King James was driven out of his kingdom before this arrangement could take effect and another king succeeded who desired not the promotion of the Catholic religion neither hankered after subsidies whether French or English that agreement was pronounced in valid improper and contemptible however there was no getting back the money once paid to lord chancellor jeffreys but what thought we have money at this present moment or a position or anything else except indeed one another Lorna told me with the sweetest smile that if i were minded to take her at all i must take her without anything in as much as she meant upon coming of age to make over the residue of her estates to the nexican as being unfit for a farmer's wife and i replied with the greatest warmth and a readiness to worship her that this was exactly what i longed for but had never dared to propose it but dear mother looked most exceedingly graved and said that to be sure her opinion could not be expected to count for much but she really hoped that in three years time we should both be a little wiser and have more regard for our interests and perhaps those of others by that time and master snow having daughters only and nobody coming to marry them if anything happened to the good old man and who could tell in three years time what might happen to all or any of us why perhaps his farm would be for sale and perhaps lady Lorna's estates in scotland would fetch enough money to buy it and so throw the two farms into one and save all the trouble about the brook as my poor father had longed to do many and many a time but not having a title could not do all quite as he wanted and then if we young people grew tired of the old mother as seemed only too likely and was according to nature why we could send her over there and lizzie to keep a company when mother had finished and wiped her eyes Lorna who had been blushing rosely at some portions of this great speech flung her fair arms around mother's neck and kissed her very heartily and scold her as she will deserve for her want of confidence in us my mother replied that if anybody could deserve her john it was Lorna but that she could not hold with the rashness of giving up money so easily while her nexican would be john himself and who could tell what others by the time she was one and twenty here pun i felt that after all my mother had common sense on her side for if master snow's farm should be for sale it would be far more to the purpose than my coat of arms to get it for there was a different pasture there just suited for change of diet to our sheep as well as large cattle and besides this even with all any skills and of course yet more now she was gone their butter would always command in the market from one to three fatherlings a pound more than we could get for ours and few things vexed us more than this whereas if we got possession of the farm we might without breach of the market laws or any harm done to anyone the price being but a prejudice sell all our butter as snow butter and do good to all our customers thinking thus yet remembering that farmer nicholas might hold out for another school of years as i heartily hoped he might or that one if not all of his commonly daughters might marry a good young farmer or farmers if the case was so or that even without that the farm might never be put up for sale i begged my lona to do as she liked or rather to wait and think of it for as yet she could do nothing end of chapter 73 recording by daisy 55 chapter 74 of lona dune this is a liberal rocks recording all liberal rocks recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit liberal rocks dot org recording by daisy 55 lona dune by aura d blackmore chapter 74 driven beyond endurance also known as blood upon the altar in other editions everything was settled smoothly and without any fear of fuss that lona might find end of troubles and myself of eager waiting with the help of parson bolden and the good wishes of two counties i could scarce believe my fortune when i looked upon her beauty gentleness and sweetness mingled with enough of humor and warm woman's feelings never to be dull or tiring never themselves to be weary for she might be called a woman now although a very young one and has full of playful ways or perhaps i may say 10 times as full as if she had known no trouble to wit the spirit of bright childhood having been so curved and straightened ear its time was over now broke forth enriched and varied with the garb of conscious maidenhood and the sense of steadfast love and eager love enfolding her colored with so many tingles all her locks and words and thoughts that to me it was the noblest vision ever to think about her but this was far too bright to last without bitter break and the plunging of happiness and horror and a passionate joy in agony my darling in her softest moments when she was along with me when the spark of defying eyes was well between dark lashes and the challenge of gay beauty passed into sweetness invitation as such times of her purest love and woman's faith in me a deep abiding fear with flutter in her bounding heart as of deadly fate's approach she would cling to me and nestle to me being scarce of coidness and lay one arm around my neck and ask if i could do without her hence as all emotions happily of those who are more to us than ourselves find within us stronger echo and more perfect answer so i could not be regardless of some hidden evil in my dark misgivings deepened as the time drew near i kept a steadfast watch on lona neglecting a field of beans entirely as well as a litter of young pigs and a cow somewhat given to jaundice and i let jim sklokom go to sleep in the toilet all one afternoon and bill dad's draw off a bucket of cider without so much as a buy your leave for these men knew that my knighthood and my coat of arms and most of all my love were greatly against good farming the sense of our country being and perhaps it may be sensible that a man who sticks up to be anything must allow himself to be cheated but i never did stick up no wood though all the parish bade me and i whistle the same tunes to my horses and held my plow tree just the same as if no king nor queen had ever come to spoil my tune or hand for this thing nearly all the men around our parts unbraided me but the women praise me and for the most part these are right when themselves are not concerned however humble i might be no one knowing anything of our part of the country would for a moment doubt that now he was a great to-do and talk of john redd and his wedding the fierce fight with the dunes so lately and my leading of the combat though i fought not more than need be and the vanishing of sir counselor and the galloping madness of carver and the religious fear of the women that this last was going to hell for he himself had declared that his aim while he cut through the yield merry also their remorse that he should have been made to go thinner with all his children left behind these things i say if ever i can again contrive to say anything had led to the broadest excitement about my wedding of lorna we heard that people meant to come for more than 30 miles around upon excuse of seeing my statue and lorna's beauty but in good truth out of sheer curiosity and the love of meeting our clerk had given notice that not a man should come inside the door of his church without shilling fee and women as sure as she twice as much must everyone pay to shillings i thought this wrong and as church warden begged that the money might be paid into my own hands when taken but the clerk said that was against all law and he had orders from the parson to pay it to him without any delay so as i always obey the parson when i care not much about a thing i let them have it their own way though feeling inclined to believe sometimes that i ought to have some of the money dear mother arranged all the ends and outs of the way in which it was to be done and annie and lizzie and all the snows and even ruth huckaback who was there after great profusion made such a sweeping of dresses that i scarcely knew where to place my feet and longed for a staff to put by their gowns then loner came out of a pew halfway in a manner which quite astonished me and took my left hand in her right and i pray god that it were done with my darling looks so glorious that i was afraid of glancing at her yet took in all her beauty she was in a fright no doubt but nobody should see it whereas i said to myself at least i will go through it like a grave digger loner's dress was a pure white clouded with faint lavender for the sake of the old url bender in as simple as need be except for perfect loveliness i was afraid to look at her as i said before except when each of us said i will and then each dwelled upon the other it is impossible for any who have not loved as i have to conceive my joy and pride when after ring and all was gone and done and the parson had blessed us loner turned to look at me with her glances of subtle fun subdued by this great act her eyes which none on earth may ever equal or compare with told me such a depth of comfort yet awaiting further commune that i was almost amazed thoroughly as i knew them darling eyes the sweetest eyes the loveliest the most loving eyes the sound of a shot ran through the church and those eyes were filled with death loner fell across my knee when i was going to kiss her as the bridegroom is allowed to and encouraged if he needs it a flood of blood claim outs upon the yellow wood of the altar steps and at my feet lay loner trying to tell me some last message out of her faithful eyes i lifted her up and petted her and coaxed her but it was no good the only sign of life remaining was a spirit of bright red blood some men know what things before them in the supreme time of their life far above the time of death but to me comes back as a hazy dream without any knowledge of it what i did or felt or thought with my wife's arms flagging flagging around my neck as i raised her up and softly put them there she sighed a long sigh on my breast for her last farewell to life and then she grew so cold and cold that i asked the time of year it was with tuesday and the lilacs all in blossom and why i thought of the time of year and the young death in my arms god or his angels may decide having so strangely given us enough that so i did and looked and our white lilacs were beautiful then i laid my wife in my mother's arms and begging that no one would make a noise went forth for my revenge of course i knew i had done it i knew who did it there was but one man in the world who at any rate in our part of it who could have done such a thing such a thing i used to harsher words about it while i leaped upon our best horse with brighter but no saddle and set the heads of kickums toward the course now pointed out to me who showed me the course i cannot tell i only know that i took it and the men fell back before me weapon of no sword had i unarmed and wondering at my stranger tire with a brighter vest wroth by our annie and red with the blood of the bride i went forth just to find out this whether in this world there be or be not god of justice with my vicious horse at a furious speed i came upon black borrowed down directed by some shot of men which seemed to me but a whisper and there without a furlough before me rode a man on a great black horse and i knew that man was carver doom your life or mine i said to myself and as the will of god may be but we too live not upon this earth one more hour together i knew the strength of this great man and i knew that he was armed with a gun if he had time to load it again after shooting my launder or at any rate with pistols in a horseman's sword as well nevertheless i had no more doubt of killing the man before me than a cock has a spinning of a heartless file sometimes seeing no ground beneath me and sometimes heating every leaf in the crossing of the grass blades i followed over the long war reckless whether scene or not but only once the other man turned around and looked back again and then i was beside a rock with a really swamp behind me although he was so far before me and riding as hard as he might i saw that he had something on the horse in front of him something which needed care and stopped him from looking backwards in the whirling of my wits i fancy first that this was launder until the scene i had been through fell across hot brain and heart like the drop at the close of a tragedy rushing there through craig and quag at utmost speed of a mad horse i saw as of another's fate calmly as on canvas laid the brutal deed the piteous anguish in the cold despair the man turned up the gully leading from the moor to cloven rocks through which john fry had tracked uncle ben as of all related but as covered into it he turned around and beheld me not a hundred yards behind and i saw that he was baring his child little encey before him encey also described me and stretched his hand and cried to me for the face of his father frightened him carvedon with a vile oath thrust spurs into his flagging horse and laid one hand on a pistol stock once i knew that his slung carbon had received no bullet since the one that had pierced launder and a cry of triumph rose from the black depths of my heart what cared i for pistols i had no spurs neither was my horse one to need the brawl i rather held him in that urge him for he was fresh as ever and i knew that the black steed in front if he had rested the steep ascent with a trap divided must be in our reach at once his rider knew this and having no room in the rockly channel to turn in fire jew rain in the crossway sharply and plunged into the black ravine leading up to wizard slaw it is so i said to myself with a brain and a head cold as on through the foul fiend comes from the slope to save the thou shark carvet carver i followed my enemy carefully steadily even leisurely for i had him as in a pitfall whence no escape might be he thought that i feared to approach him for he knew not where he was and his low disdainful laugh came back laugh he who wins thought i a gnarl and half starved oak as stubborn as my own resolve and smitten by some storm of old hung from the craig above me rising from my horse's back although i had no stirrups i caught a limb and tore it like a mere wheat on from the socket men show the rent even now and wonder none with more wonder than myself carvedon turned the corner suddenly on the black and bottomless bog with a start of fear he rained back his horse and i thought he would have turned upon me but instead of that he again rode on hoping to find a way around the side now there is a way between cliff and slot for those who know the ground thoroughly or have time enough to search it but for him there was no road and he lost some time in seeking it upon this he made up his mind and willing fired and then rode at me his bullet struck struck me somewhere but i took no heed of that fearing only his escape i laid my horse across the way and with the limb of the oak struck full on the forehead his charging steed air the slash of the sword came not me man and horse rode over and way now bore my own horse down with the power of their onset carvedon was somewhat stunned and could not arise for a moment meanwhile i leaped on the ground and waited soothing my hair back and bearing my arms as though in the ring for wrestling then the little boy ran to me clasp my leg and looked up at me and the tear in his eyes made me almost fear myself enzi dear i said quite gently grieving that he should see his wicked father killed run up yonder around the corner and try to find a pretty bunch of bluebells for the lady the child bade me hanging back and looking back and then laughing while i prepared for business there and then i might have killed my enemy will say single blow while he lay unconscious but it would have been foul play will say sudden and back scowl the carver gathered his mighty limbs in a rose and looked around for his weapons but i had put them away well then he came to me engaged being want to frighten thus young men wouldn't harm your lad he said face lofty style of sneering i have punished you enough for most of your impertinence for the rest i forgive you because you have been good and gracious to my little son go and be contented for answer i smoothed him on the cheek lightly not to hurt him but to make his blood leap up i would not sully my tongue by speaking to a man like this there was a level of space of silhouette between us in the sloth with the courtesy derived from london and the processions i had seen to this place i led him and that he might breathe himself and have every five cool and every muscle ready my hold upon his coat i loose and left him to begin with me whenever he brought proper i think that he felt that his time has come i think he knew from my knitted muscles and the firm arc of my breast and the way in which i stood for most of all for my stern blue eyes that he had found his master at any rate a paleness came an ashy paleness on his cheeks in the vast caves of his legs bowed in as if he were out of training seeing this villain as he was i offered him first chance i stretched forth my left hand as i do to a weaker antagonist and i let him have the hug of me but in this i was too generous having forgotten my pistol wound and the crackling of one of my shoulder low ribs carvedon caught me around the waist was such a grip as never yet had been laid upon me i heard my rib go i grasped his arm and tore the muscle out of it note a far more terrible clutch than this is handed down to weaker ages of the great john red as the string comes out of an arms then i took him by the throat which is not allowed in wrestling but he has snatched in mind and now was no time of dalliance in vain he tugged and strained and withered dashed his bleeding fist into my face and flung himself to me with gnashing jaws beneath the arm of my strength for god that day was with me i had him helpless in two minutes and his theory eyes lulled out i will not harm thee anymore i cried so far as i could for painting the work being very furious carvedon thou art beaten own it and thank god for it and go thy way and repent thyself it was all too late even if he had yield to his ravaging frenzy for his bid was like a mad dog's job even if he would have owned that for the first time in his life he had found his master it was all too late the black ball had him by the feet the sucking of the ground drew on him like the thirsty lips of death in our fury we had he'd neither wet nor dry nor thought of earth beneath us i myself might scarcely leap with the last spring of overlabeled eggs from the engulfing grave of slime he fell back with his swanee breast from which my grip have rent all clothing like a hammock a bark oak standing out the quagmire and then he tossed his arms to heaven and they were black to the elbow and the glare of his eyes were ghastly i could not gaze and pant for my strength was no more than the infants from the fury and the horror scarcely could i turn away wow joint by joint he siked from sight end of chapter 74 recording by daisy 55 chapter 75 of launa doom this is a liberal rocks recording all liberal rocks recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit liberal rocks.org recording by daisy 55 launa doom by aura d blackmore chapter 75 life and launa come again when the little boy came back with the blue bells which he had managed to find as children always do find flowers when older eyes see none the only sign of his father left was a dark brown bubble upon a newly formed patch of blackness but to the center of its pulpy gorg the greedy slaw was heaving and the suddenly grinding its welting jaws among the flags and the sedges with pain and ache both of mind and body and shame and my own fury i heavily mounted my horse again and looked down at the innocent nc would this playful loving child grow up like his cruel father and end a godless life a hatred with a death of violence he lifted his noble forehead towards me as if to answer nay i will not but the words he spoke were these dawn for he could never say john oh dawn i am so glad that nice there naughty man has gone away take me home dawn take me home it has been said of the wicked not even their own children love them and i could easily believe that carver dunes cold-hearted ways had scared from him even his favorite child no man would i call truly wicked unless his heart be cold it hurt me more than i can tell even through all other grief to take into my arms the child of a man just slain by me the feeling was a foolish one and a wrong one as the thing has been for i would feign have saved that man after he was conquered nevertheless my arms went coley round that little fellow neither would they have gone at all if there had been any help for it but i could not leave him there to someone else my fetch him on account of the cruel slog and the ravens which had come hovering over the dead horse neither could i with my wound tie him on my horse and walk for now i had spent a great deal of blood and was rather faint and weary and it was lucky for me that the kitchen had lost spirit like his master and went home as mildly as a lamb for when he came towards the farm i seemed to be riding in a dream almost and the voices both of man and woman who had harried forth upon my track as they met me seemed to wonder from a distant muffling cloud only the thought of launas death like a heavy nail was tolling in the bell free of my brain then we came to the stable door i rather fell from my horse than got off and john fry with a look of wonder took kitchens head and led him in into the old farm house i tottered like a wienling child with mother in her calm and close helping me along yet fearing except by step to look at me i have killed him was all i said even as he killed launa now let me see my wife mother she belongs to me nonetheless though dead you cannot see a noun jet dear john said ruth hawker back coming forward since no one else had the courage any is with her now john what has that to do with it let me see my dead one and pray myself to die all the woman fell away and whispered and looked at me with side glasses and some sovereign for my face was hard and flint roofed alone stood by me and dropped her eyes and trembled then one little hand of hers stole into my great shaken palm and the other was laid on my tattered coat yet with her clothes she shunned my blood while she whispered gently john she is not your dead one she may even be your living one yet your wife your home and your happiness but you must not see her now is there any chance for her for me i mean for me i mean god in heaven knows dear john but the sight of you and in this sad plight would be certain death to her now come first and be held yourself i obeyed her like a child whispering only as i went for none but myself knew of her goodness almighty god will bless you darling for the good you are doing now ten four a and a thousand fold i prayed and i believed it when i came to know the truth if it had not been for this little maid launa must have died at once as in my arms she laid for dead from the dash dirt and murderous cruelty but the moment i left her ruth came forward and took the command of everyone and right of her firmness and readiness she made them bear her home at once upon the door of the pulpit with the cushion under the drooping head with her own little hand she cut off as tenderly as a pier is peeled the brighter just so steeped and stained and then with her dainty transparent fingers no larger than a pencil she probed the vow worn on the side and fetched the reek and bullet forth and then with the coldest water staunch the flowing of the lifeblood all this while my darling lay insensible and as white as death and needing nothing but her maiden shroud but roof still sponged the poor side and forehead and watched the long eyelashes flat upon the marble cheek and laid her pure face on the faint heart and bathed them fetcher of spanish wine then she parted the pearly teeth feebly clenched on the hovering breath and poured in wine from a christening spoon and raised the graceful neck and breast and stroked the delicate throat and waited and then poured in a little more Annie all the while looked on with horror and amazement counting herself no second rate nurse and this as against all theory but the quiet lifting of Ruth's hand and one glance from her dark bright eyes told Annie just to stand away and not intercept the air so and at the very moment when all the rest has settled that Ruth was a simple idiot but could not harm the dead much a little flutter in the throat followed by a short low sigh made them pause and look in hope for hours however and days she lay at the very verge of death kept alive by nothing but the care the skill the tenderness and the perpetual watchfulness of Ruth luckily Annie was not there very often so as to Meadow for kind and clever as she was she must have done more harm than good but my broken rib which was set by a doctor who chanced to be at the wedding was allotted to Annie's care and great inflaming ensuing it was quite enough to content her this doctor had pronounced poor Lorna dead where for Ruth refused most firmly to have ought to do with him she took the whole case on herself and with God's help she bore through now whether it were the light and brightness of my Lorna's nature or the freedom from anxiety for she knew not of my hurt or as some people said her birthright among wounds and violence of her manner of night drinking beer I leave that doctor to determine who pronounced her dead but anyhow one thing is certain sure as stars of hope above us Lorna recovered long ere I did for the grief was on me still of having lost my love and lover at the moment she was mine with the power of fate upon me and the black cauldron of the wizard's death boiling in my heated brain I had no faith in the tales they told I believe that Lorna was in the church yard while these rogues were lying to me for the strength of blood like mine and power of heart behind it a broken bone must burn itself mine went hard with fires of pain being of such size and thickness and I was ashamed of him for breaking by reason of a pistol ball in the mere hug of a man and it fetched me down in conceit of strength so that I was all careful all afterwards all this was a lesson to me all this made me very humble illness being a thing as yet all together unknown to me not that I cried small or scoked or fear the death with some foretold shaking their heads about mortification and a green appearance only that I seem quite fit to go to heaven and Lorna for in my sick distracted mind stirred with many tarsons like the beard and the spear of frog spawn carried by the current hung the black and central essence of my future life a life without Lorna a tadpole life a stupid head and nobody many men may like such life enterites fakers high priests and so on but to my mind it is not the native thing God meant for us my dearest mother was a show with crying and with fretting the dunes as she thought were born to destroy us scare has she come to some liveliness though sprinkled with tears every now and then after her great bereavement and 10 years time to dwell on it when low he was her husband's son the pet child of her own good John murdered like his father well the ways of God were wonderful so they were and so they are and so they ever will be let us debate them as we will as ways are his and much the same only second hand from him and I expected something of him even in my worst of times knowing that I had done my best this is not at a fine talk as our non-conformist passing says when he can't get no more to drink therefore let me only tell what became of Lorna one day I was sitting in my bedroom for I could not get downstairs and there was no one strong enough to carry me even if I would have allowed it though it cost me some sore trouble and weariness I had put all on my Sunday clothes out of respect for the doctor who was coming to bleed me again as he always did twice a week and it struck me that he had seemed hurt in his mind because I wore my worst clothes to be bled in for lying bed I would not after six o'clock and even that was great laziness I looked at my right hand whose gas has been like that of a blacksmith's face and it seemed to myself impossible that this could be John Widd's the great frame of the hand was there as well as the muscles standing forth like the guttering of a candle and the broad blue veins going up the back and crossing every finger but as for color even Lorna's could scarcely have been wider and as for strength little insidune might have come and held it fast I laughed as I tried in vain to lift the basin set for bleeding me then I thought of all the lovely things going on out of doors just now concerning which the drowsy song of the bees came to me these must be among the time by the sound of their great content therefore the roses must be in bloom and the woodbind and clove ghillie flower the cherries on the wall must be turning red the yellow sally must be on the brook weak must be color with quivering bloom and the early meadows sight with hay yet here was I a helpless creature quite unfit to stir among them gifted with no sight no scent of all the changes that move our love and leads our hearts from mouth to mouth along the quiet path of life and what was worse I had no hope of caring ever for them more presently a little knock sounded through my gloomy room and supposing it to be the doctor I tried to rise and make my bow but to my surprise it was little Ruth who had never once come to visit me since I was placed under the doctor's hands Ruth was dressed so gaily with rosettes and flowers and whatnot that I was sorry for her bad manners and thought she was come to conquer me now that learner was done with Ruth ran towards me with sparkling eyes being rather short of sight then suddenly she stopped and I saw an entire amazement in her face can you see visitors cousin red why they never told me of this she cried I knew that you were weak dear John but not that you were dying whatever is that basin for I have no attention of dying Ruth and I like not to talk about it but that basin if you must know is for the doctor's purpose what do you mean bleeding you you poor weak cousin is it possible that he still does that twice a week for the last three weeks dear nothing else have kept me alive nothing else has killed you nearly there and she set her little boot across the basin and crushed it not another drop shall they have from you is Annie such a fool is that and Lizzie like a zany at her books and killing her brother between them I was surprised to see Ruth excited her character being so calm and quiet and I tried to soothe her with my fever hand as now she knelt before me dear cousin the doctor must know best and he says so every day what has he been brought up for brought up for slain and murdering 20 doctors killed John King Charles in spite of all the women will you leave it to me John I have a little will on my own and I am not afraid of doctors will you leave it to me dear John I have saved your lawless life and now I will save yours which is a far far easier business you have saved lawless life what do you mean by talking so oh what I say cousin John though perhaps I overpriced my work but at any rate she said so I do not understand I said falling backward with with the wilderness all women are such liars have you ever known me to tell a lie Ruth and great indignation morphine I doubt then your mother may tell a story now and then when she feels it right and so may both your sisters but so you cannot do John read and no more than you can I do it if ever there was a virtuous truth in the eyes of a woman it was not in Ruth Huckabax and my brain began very slowly to move the heart being almost torpedoed from the petrol loss of blood I do not understand was all I could say for a very long time will you understand if I show you Lorna I have feared to do it for the sake of you both but now Lorna is well enough if you think that you are cousin John surely you will understand when you see your wife following her to the very utmost of my mind and heart I felt that all she said was truth and yet I could not make it out and in her last few words there was such a power of sadness rising through the cover of gaiety that I said to myself half in a dream Ruth is very beautiful before I had time to listen much for the approach of footsteps Ruth came back and behind her Lorna coy as if of her bridegroom and hanging back with her beauty Ruth banged the door and ran away and Lorna stood before me but she did not stand for an instant when she saw what I was like at the risk of all thick bandages and upsetting a dozen medicine bottles and scattering leeches right and left she managed to get into my arms although they could not hold her she laid her panting warm young breast on the place where they meant to believe me and she set my pale face up and she would not look at me having greater faith in kissing I felt my life come back and warm I felt my trust in a woman flow I felt the joys of living now and the power of doing it it is not a moment to describe who feels can never tell of it but the rush of Lorna tears and the challenge of my bride's lips and the throbbing of my wife's heart now at last at home of mind made me feel that the world was good and not a thing to be wary of little more have I to tell the doctor was turned out at once and slowly came back my form of strength with my darling wife and good vitals as for Lorna she never tired of sitting and watching me eat and eat and such is her heart that she never tires of being with me here and there among the beautiful places and talking with her arm around me so far at least as it can go though half of mine may go around her of the many fears and troubles dangers and discouragements and worst of all the bitter partings which we used to have somehow there is no need for my farming harder than becomes a man away Lorna has great stores of money though we never draw it out except for some poor neighbor unless I find her a scrumptious dress out of her own park witsy and this she always looks upon as a wondrous gift for me and kisses me much when she puts it on and walks like the noble woman she is and yet I may never behold it again for she gets back to her simple clothes and I love her to better in them I believe that she gives half the grandeur away and keeps the other half of the children as for poor Tom Fagus everyone knows his bitter adventures when his pardon was recalled because of his journey to Sedgemore not a child in the country I doubt but knows far more than I do of Tom's most desperate doings the law had ruined him once he said and then he had been too much for the law and now that a quiet life was his object here the base thing came after him and such was his dread of this evil spirit that being caught upon bond staple bridge with soldiers at either end of it yet doubtful about approaching him he said his strawberry mare sweet Winnie at the left hand power pet with a whisper into her dove colored ear without a moment's doubt she leaped it into the foaming tide and swam and landed according to orders also his flight from a public house where trap was set for him but when he came and broke down the door and put two men under and trot on them is as well known as any ballot it was reported for a while that poor Tom had been caught at last by means of his fondness for liquor and was hanged before touting jail but luckily we knew better with a good wife and a wonderful horse and all the county attached to him he kept the law at a wholesome distance until it became too much for its master and a new king arose upon this Tom sued his pardon afresh and Jeremy stickles who suited the times was glad to help him in getting it as well as a concompensation there after the good and respectable Tom lived a godly though all not always sober life and brought up his children to honesty as the first of all qualifications my dear mother was as happy as possibly need be with us having no cause for jealousy as others arose around her and everybody was well pleased when Lizzie came in one day and tossed her bookshelf over and declared that she would have captain block ham and nobody should prevent her for that he alone of all the men she had ever met with knew good writing when he saw it and could spell a word when told as he had now succeeded to captain stickles position stickles going up the tree and had the power of collecting and of keeping what he liked there was nothing to be said against it and we hope that he would pay her out I sent little NC to Brondale school at my own cost and charges have changed his name for fear of what anyone might do to him I called him NC Jones and we got him a commission and after many scrapers of spirit he did great things in the low countries he looks upon me as his father and without my leave will not lay claim to the heritage and title of the dunes which clearly belong to him Ruth Huckaback is not married yet although upon uncle Ruben's death she came into all his property except indeed two thousand pounds which uncle Ben in his direst manner bequith to sir John Redd the worshipful knight for treason of the testor's boots and he left almost a mint of money not from the mine but from the shop and the good use of your seat for the mine had brought in just what it cost when the vein of gold ended suddenly leaving all concerned much older and some I feel much poor but no one uttered ruin as is the case with most of them Ruth herself was his true mind as upon death bed he found I know a man even worthy of her and though she is not very young he loves her as I love Lorna it is my firm conviction that in the end he will win her and I do not mean to dance again except that dare Ruth's wedding if the floor be strong enough of Lorna of my lifelong darling of my more and more loved wife I will not talk for it is not seemingly that a man should exalt his pride year by year her beauty grows with the growth of goodness kindness and true happiness above all worth loving for change she makes a joke of this and plays with it and laughs at it and then when my slow nature marvels back she comes to the earnest thing and if I wish to pay her out for something very dreadful as may happen once or twice when we become too glassy I bring her to forgotten sadness and to me for cue of it by the two words Lorna do end of chapter 75 recording by daisy 55 end of Lorna do a romance of x more by richard dot bridge blackmore